April Ball
![April Ball yorktest Urticaria](https://www.yorktest.com/de/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/10/April-final-1.jpg)
![April Ball yorktest Urticaria](https://www.yorktest.com/de/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/10/April-final-1.jpg)
“I am really looking forward to carrying on the diet, trying new recipes and my skin improving even more!”
- Receptionist April Ball suffered with facial urticaria for over three years
- Alongside her urticaria, she had also suffered from the debilitating skin condition eczema, since she was a baby
- April’s confidence was knocked during her flare-ups due to the nature of her job dealing with clients on a day-to-day basis
- The receptionist sought advice from her GP and was prescribed steroid cream to reduce her flare-ups. However, she was conscious of the side effects of this medication
- April’s anxiety of the condition worsened when she got engaged to her partner and became increasingly worried about suffering a breakout on her wedding day
- The test revealed she was intolerant* to gluten, cashew, cow’s milk and eggs
- After eliminating her trigger foods from her diet, her urticaria has vastly improved in a short space of time and she’s now “looking forward to carrying on the diet [and] trying new recipes”
Receptionist April Ball had suffered from urticaria for the past three years. “I remember the day I woke up and my whole face was swollen and red. I could barely open my eyes,” April recalls.
Unfortunately for April, she had to battle another skin condition alongside her urticaria. “Since growing up, I have always suffered with really bad eczema which was on my body. I was able to hide [it] but having a condition on my face was totally different,” April says.
Trying to manage two skin conditions left April feeling self-conscious and her confidence suffered as a result. “I wasn’t able to wear make-up. I work in private healthcare meeting patients, consultants and visitors all day. I was so self-conscious the first time it happened, I called in sick – luckily work was really supportive and understanding, and put me in contact with a private dermatologist,” she explains.
The receptionist sought advice from her newly-referred dermatologist and was prescribed steroid cream to knock down her flare-ups. “I reluctantly use [it] to this day, as I worry that the cream will thin my skin. I asked my GP if there were any allergy/intolerance* testing I could have but, due to the cost, he wasn’t able to provide this, but did say it could be beneficial for me,” she says.
Reluctant to use her steroid
“I [was] worried that on the day of the wedding, I will have a breakout of urticaria and that my make-up wouldn’t cover it,” she recalls.
Keen to find out the underlying trigger, April decided to take a food intolerance† test after a recommendation from Wellness International.
The home-to-lab food intolerance† test, which involves sending a finger-prick blood sample to the company’s laboratories, revealed that April was intolerant to gluten, egg white, cashew and cow’s milk.
April says: “when I first got the results, I was a little overwhelmed at how regularly I would usually eat these things”. More determined than ever, April’s next step was to eliminate her trigger foods.
After starting her elimination diet, she has seen a drastic reduction in her urticaria. “I have seen a huge improvement in my skin, as you can see from the pictures, and it’s only been a short space of time,” she announces.
Three months later, April is committed to her new diet more than ever before, no longer feels self-conscious and is positive about her future health. “I am really looking forward to carrying on the diet, trying new recipes and my skin improving even more!”
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